Flyleaf- New Horizons review

by Reggie Edwards When Flyleaf released their self-titled debut, they were an instant success and have never looked back. Their sophomore album, Memento Mori, was solid but I wasn’t as big of a fan. Nonetheless they have stayed atop the charts and have stayed a fan favorite all these years. Thus, there has been a lot of hype leading up to their third studio full-length, New Horizons. This is a title which speaks for a couple new things for the band. First off, the band has been getting progressively stronger in their Christian faith over the last few years- or at least more open about it. This, I think, has a lot to do with the changing musical style of the band on this record. Flyleaf and Memento Mori were both pretty heavy. I remember when Flyleaf first exploded onto the scene with “I’m So Sick” and we were all blown away by Lacey Sturm (then known as Lacey Mosely- she got married) and how well she could scream and sing yet alone balance the two. New Horizons is a great record and a well-produced and mixed one at that. The message of faith is definitely there and it’s evident Flyleaf have grown in multiple areas over the years. This is a much softer rock album than we’ve seen from Flyleaf yet. I had a hard time at first-listen because it’s just so different from their first album was. However, the music industry is about two things- growth and momentum. Flyleaf show massive amounts of growth and have kept their musical momentum flowing here, which makes this a great release for them. The other “New Horizon” we see from Flyleaf is the departure of frontwoman Lacey Sturm. This was just announced before the release and will usher in a new era for Flyleaf. Things are gonna get interesting from here but from what we can tell, this will be a huge year coming up for the band. Rating: 7.5/10